12月29日
【约壹1:1】论到从起初原有的生命之道，就是我们所听见，所看见，亲眼看过，亲手摸过的。
【约壹1:2】（这生命已经显现出来，我们也看见过，现在又作见证，将原与父同在，且显现与我们那永远的生命传给你们。）
对于那些已经拥有一切的人，你会送他们什么呢？在这个圣诞节可能你也被这问题所困扰。答案千篇一律：在客观物质需求上已经得到一切满足的人，他可能会从某些具有主观情感价值的东西上获得最大益处。所以，如果你是这个人的小孩，你或许可以为他画一幅全家福的画；又或者你是这个人的朋友，你或许可以为他买一个纪念品，让他想起你们两人在一起的美好经历。这很美好，很富有感情。然而，任何人都不会否认，一个三岁孩子用“绘儿乐”创作的作品，价值要低于达芬奇创作的画作。客观价值，主观价值，这两者是不同的。你会认为，一件真正伟大的礼物，应当既有客观价值又有主观价值，对吗？这就是神在圣诞节收到的“礼物”。不要误解，当然是我们在圣诞节收到礼物——神独一的儿子来为我们的罪受苦、为我们而死，使我们可以拥有永生。但是神从这个过程中得到了什么呢？
请想一下。神在天堂胜利的掌管一切，然而在天堂里他环顾四周之后对自己说，“少了什么”。这位创造宇宙的神，拥有一切的神，他可能缺少什么呢？这就是圣诞节的核心意义。神究竟为什么要以耶稣的样式，来到这个世界为我们受苦、为我们而死？！
唯一可能的解释就是，神从天堂往下看，想起了他缺少的，想起了他最想要的……就是你。在圣诞节，我们不仅获得拯救，我们还获得了一个身份，我们发现自己是谁，发现自己多么有价值。
使徒约翰在这里把我们的救主耶稣称为“从起初原有的”、“生命之道”、“永远的生命”，他使用这些名字的目的，是为了让他的读者相信，耶稣就是旧约中那些预言和应许的实现；他说，“我们所看见”、“我们所听见”、“我们亲手摸过”的就是他，约翰的意思是神已经计算了所有风险，然后开启了计划。他差遣他的儿子来救赎我们，这意味着我们对神来说是有价值的！宇宙中没有任何东西比宇宙创造者的血更有客观价值，然而神却愿意为了把我们赎回而洒下他的血。永远不要相信别人说你没有价值，永远不要相信你耳边的谎言说你是失败者，神不是这样想的。（在圣餐礼中）你尝到、触摸到、看到他已经来临……来把你赎回。这就是你的客观价值。
祷告：天父啊，你向我显明了多么奇妙的爱！你看我的价值如此之高，以至于你让自己下降的如此之低来拯救我——这是难以置信的降卑。我已经向这世界而死，已经与耶稣我的救主一同复活。藉着耶稣，愿我认识到我无限的价值和意义，愿我活出这真理。奉耶稣的名，阿们。
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 1 John 1:1-2 (NIV84)
What do you get for the guy who has everything? Perhaps you’ve wrestled with this question at Christmas. The answer, invariably, is that the guy who objectively has all of his needs met would probably benefit most from something with sentimental (subjective) value. So maybe if you’re the man’s little child, you draw him a picture of the family. Or, if you’re the man’s friend, perhaps you buy him a keepsake that reminds him of a shared experience the two of you had. That’s nice. That’s sentimental. No one would deny, however, that a 3-year-old’s artwork made from Crayolas has less objective value than a painting created by Da Vinci. Objective value. Subjective value. They’re different. A truly great gift, you’d imagine, would seem to require both objective and subjective value. Right? Herein lies the “gift” God receives at Christmas. Don’t misunderstand. Of course we get a gift at Christmas—God’s only Son come to suffer and die in our place for our sins so that we might have eternal life. But what does God get from this arrangement?
Just imagine. God ruling triumphantly in heaven. And yet, in the midst of paradise, he looks around and thinks to himself, “Something’s missing.” Now what could the God who created the
cosmos, the God who has everything, possibly be lacking? This gets to the heart of the problem” of Christmas. Why in the world would God, in the person of Jesus, come to this planet to suffer and die for us?!
The only possible explanation is that God looked down from heaven and thought that the one thing he was missing, the one thing he desired above all else . . . was YOU. At Christmas, we not only gain salvation. We also gain an identity. We discover who we are, how valuable we are.
The apostle John refers to our Savior Jesus here as “That which was from the beginning” and “Word of life” and “the eternal life.” His point with this terminology is to convince his readers that Jesus was the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies and promises. He says, “we have seen” and “we have heard” and “our hands have touched” him. John is saying that God calculated the risk and pulled the trigger. He sent his Son to redeem us. That logically means that we were WORTH IT to God! Nothing in the universe has more objective value than the blood of its Creator, and yet God willingly spilled it to buy us back. Don’t ever believe someone who suggests you’re worthless. Don’t ever believe the lie of that voice in your head convincing you that you’re a loser. God didn’t think so. Taste and touch and see that he’s arrived . . . to buy you back. That’s what you’re objectively worth.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, what amazing love you’ve shown to me! That you would value me so highly that you brought yourself so low to rescue me—this is incredibly humbling. I have died to this world and risen with Jesus, my Savior. May I recognize my infinite worth and purpose through him and live out of such truth. Amen.